Page 28 of Seeing You

“Trust me. It is.” She continued to brush and curl. “Marcus was already a total jerk about what you do for a living, so you need to look fabulous and present yourself like you’re living your best life and leaving him was the absolute greatest thing to ever happen to you.”

“In some ways, it was,” she lowly admitted. “I couldn’t have kept living the way we were when we were together. Coming home…”

Ashlynn stepped in front of her and forced her to look up. “You did what you had to do. Whether it was for us or yourself, or maybe both. Whatever the reason, you blossomed and I couldn’t imagine where we’d all be without you. There have been so many milestones that wouldn’t have happened without you.”

“I don’t know about that…”

Tears shone in her sister’s eyes. “I know this isn’t the time; we need to get you ready. Just know that I’m here to cheer you on in whatever capacity you need, just like you’ve always done for me.”

“Thanks, Ash.”

“Now, let’s make that man drool!”

It was crazy to feel nervous, but as Marcus pulled up to Billie’s house, he swore his palms were sweating. They had dated for ten damn years, she wasn’t a stranger, and this certainly wasn’t a first date.

Actually, it wasn’t a date at all.

Well…maybe.

Not a romantic one, but a dinner date between old friends.

“That doesn’t sound right either,” he muttered before climbing from the car. Letting out a long breath, he went all of two steps when Billie stepped out onto the front porch. Her strawberry blonde hair was done in soft waves, the dress was dark purple with a deep vee that wrapped around her, and her lips were a glossy shade of pink. She was stunning.

And I’m in trouble…

“Hey,” he said softly as he met her halfway. “You look…very nice.”

Smiling, she walked around to the passenger side of the car. “Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.”

He helped her in before jogging around to the driver’s side and sliding in beside her. “I promise not to keep you out too late. My father threatened me about that before I left.”

Her laugh was soft and husky. “Really? Why?”

“He and Max ate half of what I brought home from Books & Beans today and he said one of us will need to refresh the box tomorrow. That means you need to be there so he can get his favorites. We may need to hold an intervention.”

“Aww…I love that he’s enjoying everything.” They pulled away from her house and Billie twisted slightly in her seat. “So, how are things going with the two of you? The mere fact that you’re back in Sweetbriar Ridge must mean that you’re getting along.”

“Well…let’s just say we’re working on it.”

“Uh-oh…”

Marcus explained why he was here and how he and his brother were trying to work on how their father could continue to stay in his home when he needed so much help.

“I didn’t realize his health was so bad.”

“It’s not as dire as my brother led me to believe. Dad could make a total recovery if he put in the effort. It’s like he’s just given up on life.”

The look she gave him told him where she put the blame, but she didn’t say it out loud.

Thankfully.

“Max is planning on moving back to town, but he doesn’t want to live with Dad. I don’t blame him, and Dad certainly understands, but there still needs to be some plan in place. His finances were a bit of a mess, so I’ve spent the last week going through everything.” The sigh was out before he could stop it. “And through it all, we’re acting like polite acquaintances. I almost can’t wait to leave.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” she told him. “And you’re only four hours away. If you’re not needed here for anything urgent, I don’t see why you’re not heading home. Everybody knows your feelings about small-town life, so…”

“Yeah, I know. I was very vocal about my feelings back then. I still don’t see the appeal, but now that we have his finances sort of cleared up, there are issues with the house.”

“Oh?”

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